Best and Worst in show?

Breaking news from the Dog World website

MORAY Armstrong, co-handler of Crufts BIS, the Hungarian Vizsla Sh Ch/Aus Ch Hungargunn Bear Itn Mind (Yogi), has been banned from showing at, judging or attending any KC licensed event for a year for threatening and intimidating a judge. At a disciplinary hearing at the Kennel Club today, Mr Armstrong admitted distressing Rachel Herbert after the open dog class at Welsh Kennel Club last year when he won the RCC with Yogi. He told her she would not judge again, that she had cost Mr Armstrong BIS and that she would pay for it.
The Disciplinary Sub-Committee heard there had been a complaint against Mr Armstrong - whose wife Kathryn co-owns Yogi – relating to his behaviour towards a judge after being awarded the RCC at Three Counties in 2005, for which he received a warning. See DW next week for full story.

Whoever is handling the KC's media relations needs to go on a course! What bizarre timing for hearing this case. Shouldn't they have cleared the air before Crufts?  And with this hanging over Moray's head surely things were a little tense as the Champagne flowed after the BIS was awarded.
I really do think this is not helping the image of dog showing that a second offence of intimidating a judge results in only a year ban!

Comments

HTTrainer said…
This is shooting one's collective self in all feet.
Barrett said…
Actually I don't see how or why the KC should have handled this case any differently...should the co-handlers of all top winning dogs be treated in a special manner? When the date for the hearing was set (presumably months ago) was the chance that Mr Armstrong would be celebrating a Crufts BIS really a factor to be considered? Of course not.

Furthermore, I don't see how this subject is relevant to your pro-health message. Its obvious you have such personal hang ups with the personalities that be at the KC that you risk the credibility of your message by reporting on any non-story that might cast a bit of negativity on the dog world. Stick to the important stuff Bev, and don't reduce what has been a very informative blog with dribble worthy of the Sun. Next you will be reporting on people's private lives, and believe me, there are lots of juicy stories there.........but none of which will actually help dogs.
Anonymous said…
LOL is all i can say the oap club is falling down around them lol again
Anonymous said…
The Kennel Club has now dug a hole so deep they cannot get out of it now. What a disgrace they are to the Dog World in general. They continue to register UNHEALTHY DOGS every day of the week even after being asked continually over many years to register healthy dogs and puppies bred from healthy parents. The German Shepherd Dog has been treated diabolically by them over the last year, a breed that instigated many of the health tests available to all breeds of dogs. They bully, dictate and constantly change their own goal posts, they no longer have any standing in this Country and must be the laughing stock of the World. There is no way back from this stupidity. The German Shepherd Fraternity will show the way and the world that we will not stand back and be treated like something off the bottom of the KC's very expensive leather shoe, the ones we are all paying through the nose for every time we put our pennies in their overflowing coffers. It is time they no longer held the monopoly in this country in the world of dogs. Time to admit that "THE KC IS NOT FIT FOR PURPOSE OR FIT FOR FUNCTION".

Aileen A Mathieson
Allsala GSDs
Scotland
Beverley Cuddy said…
I do agree that it's easy to be sidetracked, but I do consider that winning-at-all-costs mentalities need to be curbed by the KC and only a year off for trying to intimidate judges is not a very strong message.

Not when you compare how they treated the 76 year old at Crufts. The KC sent her home in shame for allegedly having an 'abnormal' dog. This was an KC accredited breeder who health tests and brought a young pup to the show to take part in a puppy training display at the KC's own invitation. It's not about personalities, it's about consistently doing the right thing for the right reasons.

Yogi will now most probably be retired from showing - so banning his handler for a year after his last show isn't exactly going to be an sort of penalty. Banning him the week before Crufts however, would have been. What message does it send? That it is ALL about winning. It should be ALL be about the dogs and doing your best to breed happy healthy dogs.

The two people shamed this year at Crufts with German Shepherds were people who did every conceivable test to keep their dogs healthy. The BOB winning GSD didn't have a single dog repeated in his 5 gen pedigree. These are enlightened, caring breeders. Why treat them like criminals while sharing the champagne with a guy that twice tried to bully judges?

I do speak out when I see injustice and it wouldn't matter if it was at the hands of my friends or my enemies. I happen to disagree with Jemima Harrison and Professor Bateson on this one. The Shepherd people do so very much more to test the soundness of their dogs than any other breed, there's something about the International type that seems to offend our eyes but there is NO SCIENCE that shows impairs their dogs in any way.

Who else does endurance tests to prove fitness?

How fortunate for Yogi's owners that the KC waited till after Crufts to ban his handler. Even though the incident took place many months before.
Anonymous said…
John Thirwell was Yogi's handler at Crufts and many other shows NOT Moray, he was a Co handler. So it would be safe to assume there was always going to be another experienced handler to show him regardless of timing of hearing or punishment handed out.

What difference would the timing make to either dog, handler or KC? John was in the Best in Show ring last yr with his own Springer so to my mind would be the preferred choice on the day, not Moray.
Beverley Cuddy said…
Sorry - only just figured out that Morray wasn't the main handler. I don't know these personalities.

Still PR-wise odd timing for the case to be tried.
Anonymous said…
You really ought to get a life Beverley Cuddy/Donkey and concentrate on the puppy farms and irresponsible dog owners who let their family pets mate with no regard to health issues - they are the criminals.
Anonymous said…
IF the hearing held by the KC had been delayed past the post Crufts media interest you would of been the first to "shout cover up" now wouldnt you!!! again its a case of you damming them if they do and damming them if they dont, the KC are just a red rag to you Beverly its about time you looked at ALL their work and reported it fairly. If the rest of the media actually looked at what you DONT print they would see just how anti Kennel Club you are and your views are in the extreme
Anonymous said…
I think Beverley understands how much of a 'life' these dogs are and the purpose and joy they give to people. That is why she does what she does and why I will continue to support and defend the gsd! The breed clubs have been pushing for years to have health tests compulsary and that is I feel the true reason for this victimisation. I do feel that they will alienate the germanic style and probably for the better of the breed who can then continue with their own health testing, conformation coming second to working abilty and placing importance on temperament and not just looks. I long for the day when the KC will be as true the words that it dictates but I fear it will be a long time coming.

Mutthouse xx
Anonymous said…
Hear hear Beverley Cuddy, never afraid to speak the truth, always impartial and finally someone who understands exactly what the majority of show GSD exhibitors are actually trying to do from a health and fit for purpose prospective.
Anonymous said…
Sorry - only just figured out that Morray wasn't the main handler. I don't know these personalities.......... well again it shows you are so out of contact with the show world yet you still make broad and very public comments on it with no knowledge
Anonymous said…
I don't much care for all this tittle-tattle over who said ehat to who,and who's banned from whatever,but I do know that Yogi is one outstanding dog and the dog is what it's all about.Too much ego tripping for my liking.You g.s.d.people need to take those rose coloured spectacles off and take a good hard look at your dogs,ever heard of kennel blindness? show me a straight back and I'll show you a sound dog....
Anonymous said…
Beverley, how much do you know about pedigrees…Zilch I take it. There is a difference between a one off inbreeding in an otherwise out crossed pedigree and generations and generations of genetic saturation on the same dogs. You cannot form an opinion that a dog is not excessively inbred by looking at the first 5 generations and assume there is no obvious inbreeding and that that dog is not excessively inbred. Check further back, and as for implying health testing is going to be the be all and end all to solve all the ails in pedigree dogs, you couldn’t be more wrong. And further, saying you disagree with Prof Bateson totally discredits you and everything you have to say in my mind. Nuff said!

Popular Posts